We all love a natter and munch at
the fabulous Buns and Roses and our 6th birthday/AGM "I'm too Sixy" combined did
not disappoint.

Branch annual reports were
lightened up with laughter, a good sprinkling of craft, cake and cracking
presents in our bring a gift take a gift present swap.

Lucy (Ms Branch President) and
her team talked us through the year in review and what she and her lovely
ladies have been planning and arranging for us. Helen, our exiting treasurer
and future cocktail tester made finance fun running through the accounts to let
us all know where our money was going, and the best thing was, it all came back
to us in trips and events. Go girls!

Founding member and departing
Vice President Gloria gave one last plug for the WI raffle to lighten our woes
at facing a committee without her….although we think she should keep making
guest appearances just to give us the annual “saga” of prizes available
(badoom-chink) whilst Sam showed the ongoing team spirit in her last day as secretary
by combining her birthday celebrations with her fellow roses, and a very happy birthday
to you from us all!

Thanks and flowers are never
enough to express our gratitude to the ladies stepping down from the committee
this year for all their hard work and enthusiasm and they have undoubtedly set
the bar very high for the new committee picking up the baton going forward.

In the calendar for 2015 we have
the exciting up and coming Whitby Trip on May 30th (tickets here),
Siobhan guiding us through the dark side of our cities heritage with her plague
pits and Victorian death sites a photographic and historical tour on May 14th,
June is our rescheduled Cake Decorating Workshop, and don’t forget the GIN
tasting event for the autumn (We’re all very enthusiastic about that one).

Thanks to all
who contributed food, gifts and general goodness. We will see you again next
month!

Next meeting is 21
May - Roses go to Bollywood- A general meeting
with a demonstration by Bollywood dancers and the opportunity to try out a few
moves!

This month we were joined by the lovely Jo Cheetham, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation from the Yorkshire Organ Donation Services Team who was speaking to us with tear jerking honesty about organ donation in view of the WI’s 2014 Resolution to promote this worthy cause.

Jo told us how that final shared action between yourself and your family in donating your organs after death can go on to change and save many lives, whether they be corneal transplants to stop a teenager going blind or the mother of three and toddler who shared your liver both being given a future to look forward to. One donor can save 8 lives and change many many more!

She shared with us heart-breaking true stories of something positive coming out of tragedy where families have donated lost loved ones organs and emphasized the importance of making sure your family knows you wish to donate your organs and of adding your name to the donors register.

Furthermore, standard myths about donation were dissolved -a diabetic can donate organs, and so can a smoker, the only religion that expressly forbids organ donation is Rastafarianism-who would have thought it!